Residents of Uman, a city in central Ukraine, have successfully recalled Mayor Iryna Pletnyova from office, completing a voter initiative to remove a top municipal official for the first time in Ukrainian history.
Ukrainian Member of Parliament Anton Yatsenko, who represents the Uman region, reported the removal to public broadcaster Suspilne. Yatsenko stated that Pletnyova, who has led the city since 2020, is the first official at this level in Ukraine to be ousted directly by voters rather than through a court or administrative procedure.
Uman, located in Cherkasy Oblast, is widely known as a pilgrimage site for Hasidic Jews visiting the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. The recall announcement coincided with the arrival of approximately 16,000 Hasidic pilgrims in the city.
Voter Threshold and Signature Collection
Under Ukrainian legislation on local self-government, voters possess the legal mechanism to recall municipal officials through popular initiative. The recall procedure succeeded due to a coincidence involving statutory voting numbers. Pletnyova was elected mayor in 2020 with the support of just over 6,000 voters, representing slightly more than 30 percent of the vote. Under the law, initiating a recall requires gathering the exact same number of signatures as votes received in the original election.
An initiative group surpassed the legal requirement by collecting more than 6,700 signatures over three weeks during the summer. Following an official review, the local election commission validated 6,421 signatures, satisfying the threshold to move the process forward to the party level.
Party Convention and Legal Dispute
The formal conclusion of the recall occurred on September 8 at a party convention of For the Future in Kyiv. Pletnyova had originally run for office under the political banner of the party. Delegates at the convention voted in favor of her recall and forwarded the official decision to the Uman City Council.
Pletnyova did not attend the Kyiv convention. She said she was absent because the electoral commission failed to provide her with the official decision and meeting protocol. She stated that she had filed a formal request to inspect the paperwork and waited at her office for more than four hours, the mandated period for notification.
Pletnyova added that election officials did not notify her within the required window and could no longer be reached. Because she was not provided with the official documents, she noted that she was unable to launch a legal challenge in court.
Transition of Power
Following the party vote, City Council Secretary Rostyslav Zavoloka has assumed the responsibilities of acting mayor of Uman while the municipal government transitions leadership.
